Ceramic Material Contamination Analysis

The uses of ceramics extend beyond the pottery realm. Electronic devices, packaging, and medical instruments all contain this resilient material. Due to its popularity in various sectors, there is a need for a quick and precise analysis of ceramics to ensure the quality of the material.

Challenges

Chemical investigation of ceramic materials presents a challenge for conventional analytical tools. Their insolubility in most acids has to be considered if we decide to choose ICP-OES, thus making the analysis impossible. In the case of XRF analysis, light-weight elements, which are presented as impurities in ceramic materials, are hard to or even impossible to detect. Analysis with SEM takes a significant amount of time, the sample has to be made electrically conductive,and usually, only a small piece of material is analyzed. 

Solution

For LIBS analysis, there is no need for any sample preparation. Light-weight elements can be easily detected and quantified while allowing the investigation of larger surfaces or depths of ceramic material. All this within seconds to minutes.

The aforementioned reasons and the compelling results strongly indicate that our Sci-Trace and M-Trace LIBS analyzers are perfectly suited for conducting a comprehensive examination of the chemical composition of ceramics.

Results

Using our Sci-Trace Instrument, we were able to analyze different ceramic materials in the ambient atmosphere and detect impurities such as boron, lithium, silicate glass gaze, potassium, magnesium, and others. Figures 1-3 present a fast and easy way to detect boron contamination with signal-to-noise ratio S/N 32, lithium contamination (S/N 46), or forming of glass glaze on the surface of the analyzed ceramic material.

LIBS Principles

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is an optical emission tool for the quick characterization of chemical elements in a broad range of materials, including biological, geological, and ceramic materials. A highly energetic laser pulse is directed at the target sample (Figure 4), resulting in the creation of an expanding microplasma upon impact. This microplasma emits luminous species that provide valuable information about the material composition and the sample environment.